I Finally Realized
by qrwDesertAngel
Summary: Rated R for one small 3x4 part I guess... Heero finally realizes what he feels for Duo when he thinks he's lost the braided baka forever... R&R!!


Title: I Finally Realized  
  
Notes: Yaoi, 1X2, implied citrus on 3X4, Heero OOC in parts, sap. This is my first fic ever... I wrote it about a year ago.  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing!! I have nothing!! *Cries*  
  
*******  
  
  
  
"WUPAW!!" Duo cried out as he flung his freshly washed hair around.  
  
"Baka." Heero growled as Duo's long chestnut hair came inches from hitting him in the face.  
  
"HEY Hee-chan!" Duo grinned maniacally.  
  
"..." Heero glared his glare of death at the perky boy.  
  
Duo stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. "A good morning to you, too!"  
  
Heero opened his laptop and started to clack away at the keys.  
  
"Is that *all* you do?" Duo continued. "Aren't you going to even have a shower and change out of your pajama's? It' *really* refreshing!"  
  
"You wear boxers to bed," Heero smirked. "Not pajama's. So you wouldn't know just how comfortable I am in them."  
  
Duo looked down at his black, silk boxers, and smiled slyly. "Well then, you notice *something* about me now, don't you."  
  
Heero turned back to his computer screen so Duo wouldn't see his blush. Duo leapt out of the room and started to bound down the stairs, when he tripped on his damp hair. "Kuso! I knew I forgot something!"  
  
He ran back into the room where Heero was still typing away. He got out his brush and started to brush his now almost dry, shiny locks. When he could run his hands through it with no snags or tangles, he started to braid it. Unfortunately, he found that this morning he was having problems.  
  
"Heeeeee-chan!! Can you braid my hair for meeeee?" he whined, sounding too much like a certain pig-headed princess.  
  
"Get Quatre to do it for you."  
  
"But Heero! Don't you remember what happened the *last* time I let him do my hair??" Duo whined.  
  
Heero found himself thinking back, when Quatre had decided Duo's hair was *boring*. He had taken Duo's hair in sections, braided them, curled the ends, and topped it off with pretty pink bows wherever a braid or curl didn't show. //I guess it comes with having twenty-nine sisters// Heero had said. He snickered at the thought.  
  
"Heero? Please?"  
  
Heero found himself looking up into Duo's violet (now puppy-dog like) eyes.  
  
"Fine." He sighed.  
  
Heero parted Duo's hair in three almost-perfect sections, and wrapped them over eachother; left, right, left, right. Duo found this very relaxing, considering Heero's knuckles were slightly massaging his head, then his neck, and then his back. By the time Heero had finished tying the braid off with a black band and had thrown it over Duo's shoulder, Duo had fallen asleep. Heero looked over at the snoring pilot, muttered "Baka", and went downstairs-with his laptop-to get breakfast.  
  
By the time noon rolled around, Duo had finally awakened, feeling relaxed and content. He had had a wonderful dream with Heero in it. In it they confessed their love to eachother on the beach, and spent the night in eachothers' arms. Duo sighed. 'Yeah, right Maxwell. Never gonna happen. The day Heero notices you is the day I-I mean Wufei-stops meditating. Besides... Who says he is even gay.'  
  
Duo frowned, shook his head and cursed his inner voice that sounded suspiciously like Wufei. Then he started down the stairs for breakfast...er, lunch.  
  
"Hiya guys!" He grinned at Trowa and Quatre, and when he turned to face Wufei, he let out an ear-piercing "HEYA WU-MAN!!"  
  
Wufei shivered and glared at Duo. "My name is WUFEI! NOT WU-MAN!"  
  
Duo's grin grew wider and he said "Sure, whatever you say Wu-bear!"  
  
Wufei flinched when he said this and screamed out "MAXWELL!!!"  
  
Quatre and Trowa stopped what they were doing and watched in horror as Wufei took out his knife and started chasing Duo. After coming pretty close to having his throat cut, Duo felt a sharp tug on his braid. He fell onto his back, becoming winded. Wufei, still chasing him, screaming "Injustice!" tripped over the fallen lump, sending him-and the knife-flying. He came to a screeching halt right into Quatre, knocking the blond over. Luckily for him, Trowa caught him. As for the knife, it ended up embedded in the wall, a few inches away from Trowa's face.  
  
"DUO," Heero yelled, sounding pissed as hell. "AND WUFEI"  
  
Quatre and Trowa sweatdropped as they quietly snuck out of the kitchen.  
  
"What are," Heero continued. "You two doing?"  
  
"Uh, er... heh..." Wufei stammered.  
  
"Wu-man was trying to kill me!" Duo interrupted. Wufei glared at him as Duo stuck his tongue out at him.  
  
"Is this true, Wufei?" Heero glared.  
  
"Er...um, ahem...you see Heero..." Wufei got up and bolted out of the room. He wouldn't be back until he was sure Heero was cooled off. "Oh Heero, my Hero!" Duo laughed at his own joke.  
  
Heero began to say 'Omae o korosu' when Duo took the hint and left Heero in the kitchen.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Heero grumbled things not to be repeated and pulled Wufei's knife out of the wall, putting it in the sink with all the other silverware. 'He won't be took happy about that' Heero smirked. He then sighed as he thought about what just happened. When he had come into the kitchen, only to see Wufei chasing Duo with a rather large knife, he had wanted to smack the braided baka to nowhere for causing so much trouble... again. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. Something was holding him back. Something... Heero shrugged it off and went upstairs to the room he and Duo shared to do some work on his laptop.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Duo had decided to take a walk in around the safehouse. He didn't really want to face Heero in their room, Wufei was in the hangar (still steaming.) and Trowa and Quatre were in the TV room kissing-no, er-fondling... hell, they were half-naked. That *should* say it all.  
  
He sat under his favorite tree that overlooked the lake. It was a large willow that he sometimes convinced Heero to come to with him. He then started thinking about him, how he loved him so much, and how Quatre and Trowa had confessed their love. Their love. Right now, to Duo, it looked as if his and Heero's love was quite one-sided.  
  
Duo let the sound of the waves on the lakes' shore lull him to sleep, still thinking about Heero.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Duo woke up to the feeling of seagulls pulling at his chestnut mane.  
  
"AAAYAAAGHHH!! GET OUTTA HERE YOU CRAZY BIRDS!" he shrieked. Duo got up as fast as he possibly could and ran away, leaving behind his black hairband and quite a few strands of hair.  
  
When he got to the other side of the lake, he realized that the sun was setting, and he should be heading back soon. This time, however, he took it slower, enjoying the scenery. He rarely took notice of his surroundings. When he actually got out, he was usually barhopping, on a mission, or blowing up whatever was blowupable.  
  
Duo grinned at the last thought. "Must be a new record. I haven't destroyed anything in three days." He said to himself.  
  
As he walked along the worn-out path on the lake's shore, his thoughts muddled onto one thing, or rather-one person. Heero.  
  
He thought about his beautiful cobalt eyes, his messy moss-colored hair, his monotone but wonderful voice, and the feeling he got just being around him. Duo sighed. 'Why do I even bother' he thought. 'Heero hates me. He yells at me all the time. I annoy him sooo much. He could never love me'. Duo closed his eyes as he felt a warm trickle on his cheek. He held his hand up to his face and wiped the tear away. "No," he laughed out loud. "Boy's don't cry... Heero said so. So I can't." With that thought he rubbed his eyes free of any other tears, wiped his nose on his sleeve, and continued walking.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
[Back at the safehouse]  
  
"Heero," Quatre asked. "Do you know where Duo went?"  
  
"No. I can't keep track of that long-haired baka."  
  
"..." Trowa mumbled.  
  
"You're probably right, koi. Probably just went barhopping again..." Quatre frowned, shaking his head at the thought.  
  
"Hn." Heero grumbled.  
  
When Duo still hadn't come home several hours later, and it was really late, they started to worry. Especially Quatre.  
  
"He doesn't like it when friends go missing..." Trowa whispered to Heero, who was confused over why Quatre cared *that* much.  
  
"Where the hell could he be??" Quatre exclaimed, and started spurting out worried profanity.  
  
Trowa and Heero sweatdropped at the thought of their sweet, innocent, blonde pilot turning Zero System and destroying the universe, because that's how he was acting.  
  
"Wufei! Wufei isn't around either!" Quatre squealed. "And he was pretty pissed off at Duo!" Quatre stormed out to look for the Chinese pilot.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Wufei apparently had been in the hangar, with his precious Nataku, ever since the dispute between he, Duo, and Heero. Quatre had found him meditating there with some oddly smelling incense, after searching the whole house.  
  
After an hour or so of Quatre hounding Wufei about where Duo was, and with Wufei always answering 'I have no idea', He gave up.  
  
Trowa, seeing his lovely koiboto in despair and becoming even more frantic, volunteered to check all the nearby bars. He told Quatre if he did this Quatre had to go upstairs and rest. Quatre agreed, as long as someone checked the area around the safehouse. Heero was left with this job. He mumbled something about Duo being able to take care of himself, but secretly, deep down, he was really worried about the braided boy  
  
He started walking down to the shore, taking off his shoes to feel the now- cold sand between his toes. He started thinking about Duo, with his beautiful violet eyes, long chestnut hair he would love to run his fingers through, and his tight lean body.  
  
"NO." Heero said to himself, trying to rid himself of the wonderful mental picture and his emotions for Duo. "Soldiers don't feel. They are trained not to. That is what makes me weak."  
  
He continued walking down the shore. When he came to the willow tree he remembered as Duo's favorite. He found himself remembering all the times Duo had dragged him out there. He had no idea why Duo asked him to come with him. All Duo did was consistently jabber. Heero never talked back except for the occasional "Hn." Or "Duo no baka." Duo seemed content in just having Heero there with him, even though he thought Heero did not listen to him. The truth was though, Heero did listen. He listened to every word that came out of Duo Maxwell's mouth.  
  
Heero sat down under the willow tree where Duo usually would have sat. He looked down at the ground, and his eyes opened wide in fear. He jumped up. Near the base of the tree was a black hairband and several strands of long, brown hair that could not be mistaken for anybody's but Duo's. What flashed through his mind were all the possibilities of what could have happened to Duo.  
  
His vision became blurry, and his eyes became moist and warm. He touched his eye and brought his hand down to see wetness.  
  
"What is wrong with me?" he sobbed as the tears came streaming down his face more freely now. "Duo! Duo please be alive! I need you!" He fell to his knees and cried some more.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Duo had finally made it back to the willow tree. He had been held up for several reasons. He was so amazed by the life and nature around him he just had to stop several times. As he came closer to the tree, he stopped in his tracks when he heard someone there. The person was crying so he found the person no threat to him and carefully approached.  
  
"Duo! Duo please be alive! I need you!" Duo recognized the voice as Heero's. He was stunned. 'Heero needed ME?' he thought. When he heard Heero starting to cry again, he came to his senses. He couldn't say a word though, so he just put a hand on Heero's shoulder.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Heero felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He quickly got up and took out his gun. Being as disoriented as he was from crying, his finger slipped on the trigger of his gun. All he saw as his eyes cleared was Duo falling to the ground, blood soaking through his shirt.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Duo didn't even see it coming. As soon as he touched Heero, Heero jumped up and turned around with his gun in his hand. As Duo heard the loud 'bang' and a sharp pain in his chest, He saw that Heero's eyes were horrified and waterlogged. 'It wasn't his fault... He didn't mean it...' he thought as he hit the ground and blacked out.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Duo hit the ground with a loud 'thump' and Heero became horrified as Duo fell unconscious.  
  
"Omigod, Duo! Duo, I am so sorry! I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it... Duo please don't die..." he cried as he picked up the wounded pilot and headed as fast as he could to the nearest hospital.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
[Three Days Later]  
  
Duo woke up to the sounds of the machines he was hooked up to. As his surroundings became clearer to him, he remembered what happened to him and brought a weak hand to his chest. He felt several layers of gauze and dressings, and a sharp pain when he brushed over the bullet wound.  
  
"Eep!" He cried out from the pain.  
  
"Duo!?" he heard a very annoying, all too familiar voice.  
  
"Heh... Ohayo Relena..." Duo plastered on a fake smile as Relena walked over to him.  
  
Relena looked at him blankly for a minute, and then asked him "Where's Heero? Is he okay?"  
  
"Um... Relena, what are you talking about?"  
  
"Didn't you hear? It was horrible! As he was bringing *you* to the hospital, he was," Relena's eyes clouded over. "Hit by a car."  
  
"Wha-att?!?" Duo sobbed, his heart beating faster.  
  
"Uh, yeah, and the doctors said he might not live..." she concluded, and turned around and smirked, only to come face-to-face with...  
  
"Heero!!" Duo yelped with joy. "But... what?... she said... you were...?"  
  
"She was trying to kill you Duo."  
  
"Run that by me again...?"  
  
The doctors said you would be alright, as long as you weren't under stress. Your heart is weak right now from..." Heero's voice trailed off. "Oh Duo... I'm so sorry..."  
  
"For what, buddy boy?"  
  
"For that!" Heero pointed to Duo's wound.  
  
"Oh that's just a scratch on the great Shinigami!!"  
  
"But I still shot you..."  
  
"You were upset, and weren't thinking clearly... by the way... I would like to talk to you about that... I heard you saying my name..."  
  
"Oh that." Heero blushed slightly. "Well Duo, I..."  
  
Just then Heero and Duo noticed Relena trying to sneak away.  
  
"No-Relena-Don't go. You need to hear this too."  
  
She paused and walked over to the seat Heero motioned at, thinking Heero would announce their engagement or something like that, that would never happen in a million years.  
  
"I..." He started.  
  
"Yes...?" She squealed.  
  
"Love..."  
  
Relena and Duo both tensed up.  
  
"I love you Duo..."  
  
Relena fainted and Duo's heart stopped.  
  
"Will you marry me Duo Maxwell?" Heero asked as he brought out a ring. "It has diamonds in it... because diamonds last forever... as will my love for you Duo. I love everything about you. Your beautiful, rare, violet eyes, your long, silky, chestnut hair, your laughter that keeps me fighting for peace... It just took me a long time to realize. It wasn't until the thought of losing you..." He choked. "Losing you... It made me realize I cannot live without you. I need you with me every day, I need you by my side and in my arms at night... I love you Duo..."  
  
Duo's eyes were filled with tears of happiness as Heero placed the ring on his finger.  
  
"Yes... I will marry you, my Heero..." Duo cried out.  
  
They looked in eachother eyes, cobalt to violet, and Heero brought his lips to Duo's as he climbed into the hospital bed with his lover. They broke the kiss and lay in eachother arms.  
  
"I love you Heero..."  
  
"Ai shiteru Duo. Forever."  
  
~owari!~ 


End file.
